Real Theatre, May 24, 2013

Review: (Montreal) Enemy of the People (FTA)

(photo credit: Arno Declair)

PERFECT TIMING
by Chad Dembski

Yesterday there was announced the largest water boil alert in Montreal history.  It has effected almost every citizen in the entire city and paralyzed some businesses (cafés) and caused chaos around buying simple bottled water. It would almost seem too perfect for the FTA to open on May 22nd with a radical adaptation of Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People” that has at its core a dilemma around contaminated water in the local Baths from which most of the city gains its profit. The plot of the play seemed a surprise to many in the audience and helped instantly engage them in this highly visceral and participatory theatrical event.

Review: (Vancouver) Dissolve

A very real depiction of sexual assault

Dissolve succeeds at being entertaining, informative and powerful

by Chris Lane

Playwright Meghan Gardiner hopes to be put out of business by her play’s material becoming irrelevant. Yet that’s unfortunately not the case, as Dissolve’s subject matter, drug-facilitated sexual assault, is just as common as ever.

The play tells the story of a college student, dubbed “Anygirl” in the program, going out for a night on the town that takes a turn for disaster. She wakes up the next day without any recollection of the previous night, to learn that she slept with a man she had repeatedly rejected, despite feeling pretty sure she only had one drink.

News: Toronto Theatre Critics' Awards Winners

Big winner Terminus (in photo: Maev Beatty who also won for Best Actress in Proud; photo by Josie Di Luzio) 

Directly from Press release with some reformatting (links are to CharPo's reviews of the winning shows and artists):

Terminus tops 2013 Toronto Theatre Critics' Awards 

May 23, 2013 - The Toronto Theatre Critics' Awards were announced today - with Outside the March's production of Mark O'Rowe's play Terminus the most celebrated production of the season.

Presented as the inaugural show of Mirvish Productions' Off-Mirvish subscription series after its premiere at the SummerWorks Festival, Terminus picked up four awards, including best production and best director of a play for Mitchell Cushman.

The Book of Mormon, another Mirvish presentation currently playing at the Princess of Wales, was the second most lauded show of the year; it was named best production of a musical, while Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker were named best director of a musical.

Now in their third year, the Toronto Theatre Critics' Awards are voted upon by critics representing five of the city's newspapers and weeklies: The Globe and Mail (J. Kelly Nestruck); The Grid (Martin Morrow); NOW (Glenn Sumi); The National Post (Robert Cushman); and the Toronto Star (Richard Ouzounian). The critics considered shows that opened between June of 2012 and May of 2013. Awards will be given out at the Spoke Club (600 King St. West) at a date to be determined.

NB: During deliberations, jurors who had a conflict of interest with an eligible production were not allowed to nominate or vote for that production - except in the case of a tie.

Full list of winners below.

Picture of the Week, May 23, 2013

It's not often we feature a full-on face shot as our POTW, but this Dahlia Katz portrait for Making Love With Espresso, featuring Lorenzo Pagnotta, is not only delicious in its own right, it is also a perfect example of Ms Katz's magnificent work. She has a way with faces (as we saw in her previous work for Antony and Cleopatra where she transformed without transforming actor Gillian English and in her picture of the year from last year). The details - beyond the actors' eyes - capture the viewer: the fingers on the cup, the watch, the hat, the few locks of curly hair). In short, Ms Katz helps the subject to draw us into the picture; she lets the actors act. 

(Making Love With Espresso is part of the rock.paper.sistahz Festival)

The Album, May 23, 2013

In a Word... Ed Roy on directing the Doras Gala

The Man Dora Chose
by Gaëtan L. Charlebois

Ed Roy's various activities as a theatre practitioner include directing, writing, dramaturgy, acting, teaching, lecturing and producing. During his 25-year career, he has participated in the creation of over 80 theatre productions. He has been the recipient of numerous awards and nominations including the Pauline McGibbon Award for Directing, Dora Award for Outstanding Direction (Including five Dora nominations for Outstanding Direction), two Dora Awards for Outstanding Production (including four Dora nominations for Outstanding Production), and the Chalmers Play Writing Award (including two nominations).  As an actor, Mr. Roy was nominated for a Dora Award for Outstanding Performance in VideoCabaret's The Life and Times of Mackenzie King. His is also the proud recipient of Toronto's Harold Award (independent alternative to the Dora Awards). His productions have toured extensively throughout Canada and internationally; New York City, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Great Britain, Wales, Paris (France), Haarlem, Amsterdam, and Tokyo (Japan national tour). Presently, he is developing several new shows including his one-man performance lecture The History of the World, Bully in the Ballroom (a dance/theatre piece) and Blood and Chicken Wings a Rock-a-Billy Musical. 

CHARPO: When did you first get the call to do the Gala and how fast did you have to be all over it?

ROY: If memory serves me I believe I was contacted by Jacoba Knaapen [the Producer of the Doras and TAPA's Executive Director] in Sept./Oct.2012 and offered the opportunity to direct the Gala. By December 2012 we were discussing how the Gala had worked in the past, what Jacoba's expectations were and what my responsibilities entailed as basically creative and show director.